• Article

Lync Web App Features

 

Topic Last Modified: 2011-01-04

Microsoft Lync Web App is a browser-based version of Microsoft Lync 2010 that allows people who are using a computer that doesn’t have Lync 2010 or Microsoft Lync 2010 Attendee installed or who do not have a Microsoft Lync Server 2010 account to participate in online meetings. It’s a program that takes up very little space on your hard disk drive and is relatively quick to set up and start using. It is designed mainly for external partners who are invited to Lync meetings, but it is also useful for employees who are not at their usual computer at meeting time or have not yet upgraded to Lync.

Lync Web App is supported on either Windows or Macintosh operating systems. For Windows users, all the in-meeting features are available, except for computer audio, video, and the ability to upload Microsoft PowerPoint presentations. The same features that are available to Windows users are also available to Macintosh users, with the exception of desktop and program sharing.

The available Lync Web App in-meeting features include the following:

  • Dial-in and dial-out (“Call me”) audio conferencing

  • Detailed meeting roster

  • Multiparty instant messaging (IM)

  • Desktop and program sharing, including giving control to participants (available for Windows only; not available for Macintosh)

  • Collaboration features, including whiteboards, polls, file sharing, and navigating PowerPoint presentations uploaded by others

Lync Web App does not support other Lync features that are outside the meeting experience, such as presence, contacts, IM, and telephony features.

To use Lync Web App, users must have the Microsoft Silverlight 4.0 browser plug-in or a later version of Silverlight installed. If Silverlight is not already installed when the user first starts Lync Web App, the user will be prompted for installation.

The desktop and program sharing features require a plug-in. The first time Windows users initiate a sharing session, they will be prompted to download the required sharing plug-in.